Multiple front door locks

[Mike Halmarack]

The main door of my flat has 2 yale type locks and a Mortice lock. The mortice lock key is the only one I ever received. It's only when the plumber came to do some work that I realised the possible problem of having two potentially self locking devices on the door with no key to open them from the outside. How do I overcome this? Will a Locksmith be able to provide the means of making these locks fully functional, with minimum cost and work involved, or will a complete replacement be necessary?

[Algernon Goss-Custard]

Mike Halmarack [e-mail] posted

How do you mean, "possible" problem? How do you get in at the moment without having keys to the Yale latches?

If they are ordinary Yale locks you can buy replacements at B& Q for a few quid. They are easy to fit yourself.

[Mike Halmarack]

By leaving them permenantly held back. Something that the plumber and his mate weren't sure about when they left at the end of the day.

They're not that ordinary. One is a "KEN" and the other a "Century". The Ken has a bezel the other not. I don't know how standard or interchangeable they are.

[newshound]

Easy enough. Remove the latch bit, leaving the cylinder in place for cosmetic reasons. Or remove the part on the door jamb.

It's easy to replace the cylinders (they are all a standard size irrespective of manufacturer). The most difficult part is that you will probably have to cut short the flat tang that engages with the knob. You may possibly have to shorten the screws that hold the cylinder in place, although you can usually re-use the screws from the old cylinder. But why would you want a door that needs three keys (unless you are a character from Line of Duty).

[Dave Plowman (News]

With some standard Yale type locks you can buy the key part only.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Given you weren't given the keys means someone else still could have them

- and that applies to your mortice lock too - I'd want to make it secure.

You could look on Ebay for new lock barrels for your night latches. Or try a decent locksmith. Having a locksmith do the work can be very expensive.

[nothanks]

Take them off and repair the holes, just remove the part on the door jamb so the male part can't latch into anything, remove your male parts(!), or replace the locks with new. All options are pretty straightforward.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Very much depends on the locks and the expertise of the locksmith. Obviously if you could just buy Yale keys from a number every burglar would have a set!

Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

I wondered if perhaps they have levers that have to be locked by the old double turn of the key, which would make it very hard to get locked out if you don' have a key!

Brian

[Mike Halmarack]

Good point, I had given that a bit of thought in the past but now you mention it, it's gone much higher up the priority list.

That may well be the most economic option.

That's why I asked here, to avoid that if possible/

[tim...]

here you go

[Mike Halmarack]

Thanks for the advice. I'm not exceptionally paranoid. I just like to make what's already there functional, with minimum bodging.

[Mike Halmarack]

Looks promising, thanks.

[Mike Halmarack]

My fondest hope is not to be locked out without a key, so thanks for the tip.

[Mike Halmarack]

Thanks, invisible repairs of holes in doors I've always found to be quite difficult. But I do prefer that to removal of my male parts, merely ornamental as they are.

[Mike Halmarack]

I think Tim's Amazon link is going to be the best solution. Even with all the keys a burglar is going to take long enough to open that many locks, for me to get my Assegai honed.

[Andrew]

For now I would remove the inner locking part. These typically sit surface-mounted in the inside of the door and usually held in place by a couple of screws into the edge of the door and one more at the far end. This should leave the actual lock barrel in the door with a flat 'tail' poking into the inside of the door, that engages with the lock slider. I suspect the lock barrels are standard and easily replaced with new ones from any decent hardware store.

Post a photo for us to confirm what you have.

[Andrew]

Fitting new lock barrels should be easy. Changing the whole lock for a new one might involve some diy woodwork, and in my experience application of plastic padding type hard to make it look like an original fitting, which you can then paint over.

Self-locking 'yale' locks are a pain if you live in an apartment above ground floor level. If it slams shut while you are collecting the post etc you are stuffed.

[Andrew]

PS Did your replacement Sharp meecro-warve (with an accent over the trailing 'e') turn up and is it as good as the old model ?. I'm still looking for a decent combi microwave to replace my half-dead one. The only people who seem to make anything similar are Bosch, AEG etc but they are all built-in ovens costing £800+

[Andrew]

Removing the female part from the door frame is easier, but will still leave an insightly rebated dent.

You caould also remove the male part, extract the actual slider with the bevelled lock and put the casing back on the door. That way you will never lock yourself out.

I take it the plumber has replaced spagetti junction with a continuous run of blue mdpe pipework ?